The Good, Bad, & Ugly from Broncos' 10-7 Win Over Raiders on TNF

We continue sifting through the aftermath of the most discouraging Denver Broncos win in recent memory.

Nov 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (15) and linebacker Jonathon Cooper (0) react during the first half at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos again tested the limits of the football gods' patience and the mettle of their defense, gutting out a grueling 10-7 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The excuses are over for Bo Nix and this offense after Thursday night's brutal showing.

Forget dumpster fire; the Broncos' offense set the whole junkyard ablaze, but before we dive headfirst into said garbage, let’s give the defense their flowers as we begin this week's good, bad, and ugly.

The Good: Defense Saves the Day… Again

The Broncos' identity remains that of a defensive juggernaut despite having a young quarterback coached by Sean Payton. Geno Smith only completed 16 passes for 143 yards and an interception snagged by Dondrea Tillman, while Raiders' star tight end Brock Bowers only caught one ball for 31 yards.

The Raiders were held to 188 yards and 4-of-15 on third down, all without Patrick Surtain II. The Broncos' defense totaled six sacks, 11 quarterback hits, and 22 pressures, leaving Smith hobbled, beaten, and broken, similar to his days with the New York Jets.

Nik Bonitto had 1.5 sacks and made many key plays, including blowing up Bowers on a tight end sweep, and pressuring Smith into throwing the ball away, resulting in an intentional grounding call. This Broncos defense is special, with contributors at every level making them a dangerous force against any opponent. 

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The Bad: Offensive Offense 

Nov 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly (36) intercepts a pass for Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin (11) during the first half at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

For the Broncos’ offense to put up 18 points against the Houston Texans' No. 1 defense and then turn around and only score 10 measly points is criminal for a Payton-coached team. Pat Bryant was Denver’s leading receiver with one catch for 43 yards, while J.K. Dobbins rushed 18 times for 77 yards.

The Broncos' offense failed to convert a third down until the second quarter, with 5:52 left on the clock. Unacceptable.

Beyond Courtland Sutton, none of the Broncos' pass-catchers have stepped up. Troy Franklin has inconsistent hands and is dreadful against man coverage, while tight end Evan Engram has done little to nothing to lift this offense as his disconnect with Nix continues.

The Broncos cannot sustain this level of offensive play. The play of Denver's second-year quarterback is exacerbating the offense's deficiencies.

The Ugly: Nix Can’t Hang

Nov 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) scrambles with the ball in the fourth quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Nix’s problems with footwork and accuracy persist halfway through his second season, and it’s killing this team. He was praised for his footwork, accuracy, and work ethic coming out of the draft just a year ago, but all of those attributes have been thrown to the side, just like many of his passes.

Nix tries to trick-shot every throw like he’s Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes, but he doesn't have the arm talent those two do, and he flees the pocket whether there’s pressure in his face or not. Despite playing at Oregon with Franklin, Nix has targeted him 24 times on passes of 30-plus yards and has connected only twice.

We're witnessing a quarterback who isn't making plays under duress, can’t correct his footwork despite having ample time to do so, and has seemingly lost his confidence. The reason that the play-calling is so out of whack is that Nix is not going through his reads properly, often overlooking the open receiver. When he does find the open man, he can’t make the throw.

This forces Payton to handcuff his offense to the simplest of concepts, and even then, Nix can’t seem to manage the game. Nix isn't playing like a franchise quarterback, and while there is time to grow, he has to actually put in the effort to correct his mistakes.

No more excuses; regardless of whether it was a divisional, international, or Thursday night game, Nix has to be better, or he will sink the immense possibilities the Broncos' 8-2 start has afforded them.

The Takeaway

Next week, the Broncos face the Kansas City Chiefs. It'll be a measuring stick game.

If the Broncos win, they can run away with the AFC West crown. However, if they don’t, there will be a plethora of questions about whether they are a serious football team.